Do I need a light meter?

crystal_smith5 · October 18, 2009

I just purchased my first set of monolights and evyerone is telling me that i need to get a flash/light meter...do I really need one and what does it tell me and how will it help me?

Thanks so much in advance... You have all been EXTREMELY helpful!

jpo3136b · October 18, 2009

You don't have to have one; you can do the math yourself. However, it's a frequently used convenience item. If you have a DSLR and some time, you can chimp around the solution instead. David Hobby uses that technique to do a lot of his basic web demos over at Strobist.com, and he's been very successful with explaining stuff to people. He's pretty much Mister Strobist because of those explanations.

What the flash meter will do is trigger the flashes (or receive a flash of light) and then calculate what the exposure would be for that point. The result is a figure that's similar to the reading off of any other light meter; except that the flash metering will be geared toward the sudden flash, instead of the overall ambient light.

The light meter built into a camera will be for reading ambient light; generally.

If you want to figure it up in your head, use guide numbers. Distance of flash to subject drives camera aperture. I prefer the guide numbers, but will use a flash meter and a gray card to check to make sure I'm not about to do anything ruinous. If you have fast-changing setups, then a flash meter can help you save time. One pop, and you've got the answer in your hand. If you can take your time and be deliberate and think it through, you can use your skills and not need the computer.

luis_g · October 18, 2009

As pointed out above, you don't need a flash meter. We got along without them for a long time. You want one, as it will make your life easier.

JDMvW · October 18, 2009

Another agreement-- it's a matter of convenience rather than necessity. Also cost-benefit ratio. How troublesome do you find GN calculations?

Two23 · October 18, 2009

I do multi mega flash (up to 12 lights at once,) and finally broke down and bought a used Minolta Autometer V. It has made things much faster and made my life easier. A light meter delivers speed and precision.

Kent in SD

Ray House · October 18, 2009

Kent Staubus summed up my thoughts, you'll be glad if you get one.

leicaglow · October 19, 2009

I've used flash meters for so long, I don't know that I could get along without them. I'd give a big thumbs up to one. It lets you focus more on your subject, space, background, etc., by making the lighting more manageable.

russ_britt3 · October 19, 2009

You don't need a flash meter at all if you don't care about correct flash exposures. You could just waste a lot of time guessing what you are doing with your strobes if you like.

If you use a flash and want correct exposures, and want to learn proper flash ratios, I dont see how you could do it without a flash meter?

Or you could just photoshop all your mistakes, like most people now seem to do.....It will set you above all your competition if you learn what you are really doing with your lights. Get a good flash meter......or two. I always keep at least two on hand.

Look at the Sekonic videos on this page..... I have both a Sekonic and a Gossen flash meter.

fullmetalphotograper · October 20, 2009

A light meter allows you to now how much light is coming different sources. This allows you to adjust Your strobes to get the desired effect you want. The best way may be just to show you.

In example (1) I took an ambient meter reading of a spotlight I have shining through a some glass tiles with my Minolta VI. I then took a reading a Flash reading from my AlienBees ABR800 <a href="http://www.geocities.com/stalker+of+the+web/ringflash.html" target="_blank">RingFlash</a>. I was then able to balance the to light out puts to create the image.

EXAMPLE 1

In Example (2) For this I used four different studio strobes set at different ratios. In order to calculate these ratios quickly and efficiently, I used the Minolta VI flash meter. There are several factors when figuring your exposure from flash distance, output and modifiers. By using a flash meter to take readings of each strobe I did not have to guess or try a mathematical gymnastics to know what the output of the lights were and how to adjust output and my exposure.

EXAMPLE 2

It is not that you can't figure this out by looking at the histogram and the image on the back of the camera it is just that it will take you 5-10 time longer without the control. Instead you use the meter to calculate the exposure and the lighting ratios, then use the cameras feedback to confirm and fine tune the exposure.

charlesheckel · October 20, 2009

I agree with the prevailing sentiment that the meter will end up making your life easier, but it depends on where you are on the studio lighting learning curve. The meter is something else you have to learn to use, and that learning is better piggybacked on a sound grasp of the fundamentals--for one thing, the idea that you get the same exposure after you've moved a flash head twice as far from the subject as it originally was by opening up one stop.

Set up a single light and chimp the correct exposure, move it to a new angle and distance and chimp that exposure, turn the light and bounce it and chimp yet again. It takes a lot of time, but that time is not wasted--you're learning about the capabilities of your system and gaining the ability to previsualize the effects of your lighting. When done, add a second light and figure out how to cut its output through bouncing or distancing to use it as a fill, chimping up a storm, and award yourself a banana when you succeed. Make tests, dialing down your flash units and opening up by stops, to assure yourself that they perform as expected.

When you've paid your dues, the dome head and the flat head on your new flash meter will start making much more sense. You'll appreciate that they measure incident light, not reflected light, and will fudge half a stop down for white cats on ivory lace and a half stop up for black cats on deep purple velvet. You'll notice that a light is too far away, and hence too directional, and adjust it even when your meter says everything is hunky dory. You'll be much faster, and more important, you'll be good.

model mayhem gallery · October 21, 2009

I went through this same delima and before i really knew what I was doing purchased a Sekonic light meter. However, I truely very seldom ever use it and I run 4 - AB800 and 2-WL 1600. As a matter of fact the light meter slows me down.

<ol>

<li>I prefer to start with my Main light WL x1600 with 5' Octagon. I set that up first and take a shot of the model with just the one light. I turn it down if I see too much blowout or it is too bright. If the skin looks dark, splotchy or discolored I turn the light up to get the desired effect.</li>

<li>If I am not looking for high contrast I will add my 2nd WL x1600. Because both strobes are the same if they are equal distance from the subject all I have to do is set the slider to 1/2 power to get a 1:2 ration or 1/4 poer to get a 1:4 ratio. however, again I don't really measure i set it to what ever looks the best to my eyes.</li>

<li>I now determine if i want background lights. If I am using gels i will set my AB800 between 1/2 and 3/4 power depending on what color gel. Dark colors like blue and purple need about 3/4 colors like yellow, orange, etc need a lot less power.</li>

<li>Then I will add a hair or rim light again adjusted to taste. Every model is different so I can't figure out a standard formula. If a model has blonde hair I will need a lot less light than a model with black hair. </li>

</ol>

When I might use my meter if if I am shooting a Christamas event or something and won't have time to take a test shot and adjust lights accordingly. However, I can pretty much eyeball it by knowing if I start with my WL x1600 at half power camera at 1/200 F8 I will get a decent shot. If the model is light skinned I may turn strobe down a notch. If dark skinned or wearing very dark clothes i can either open aperture to 5.6 or turn strobe up. If I want less ambient light I increase shutter speed to 1/250 or go to ISO 50 on my 5D Mark II. More ambient light or want to really blow out a white background turm up Background lights and or change shutter speed to 1/125.

You can really learn a lot before you will find it mandatory to have a light meter.

GerrySiegel · October 22, 2009

Not vital. But when I learned about multiple lights in the days of film, I was taught that incident light readings were likely to give more accurate exposure on the model than reflected. Of course one needed to take a reading on the side of the face with the light you want to measure, but not always vital. Some professionals now assert that they can get as good results with JPEGs as they can with RAW files if they meter accurately. Maybe incident and reflected in the case of background... If one does not like the post processing part this makes some sense. One can get a Sekonic model for around $250.00 so it is not major in terms of time and setup and all the rest. True the one I have, the Minolta IV, takes some time to figure the damn thing out, (too many notes!)- I will continue to use mine for any multi light arrangement. It is one more gadget, like those little White Balance things that go on top of a lens.... Aloha and cheers, gs

thomas_sullivan · October 22, 2009

I for one need a light meter to shoot studio flash with film and manual set up flashes. I am excellent with math....can actually do the flash set up in my head....but it is soooooooooooooooooooooooo much easier with the meter.

If I'm shooting with Canon ETTL flashes their programmed ratio set ups work extremely well for two light set ups. I only own two Canon flashes so I can't comment how more lights work.

I, however, shoot 99% available light, and shoot only for myself. So, that means I don't use flash everyday.......so I think the flash meter helps me a lot. Heck, with available light, where I shoot everyday in varied lighting conditions, I can shoot without a meter and get very good results. I think the same could happen with me if I shot artificial light everyday.

bob_osullivan · October 23, 2009

Of course you need a meter with strobes. I think Russ pretty much nailed it.

You probably should have bought a book on lighting first before investing in Strobes. The second purchase would be the meter and the strobes last.

bob_bill · October 23, 2009

Crystal, you can shoot and chimp, but when you start using 2 or 3 lights-dont forget the sun is a light- or more (as McNally says, there's no one I cant over light), it will make your life much easier. That image on the back of the camera has built in possible inaccuracies, LCD adjustment, light shining on it, your angle of view, the fact that it is a camera processed jpeg and you may be shooting raw. I agree with the above, get a book with some guidelines on the appropriate relationships between main, and the other lights. You can use that as a starting point. Best of all, once you find a ratio that you really like, you can quickly repeat it each time you set up. You are heading in the right direction, this is about light and the meter helps to control it. ( I think you had a lighting question a few weeks ago as well, stay with it) With a meter you have the intensity variable precisely measured. If you start using one now, perhaps a little later than Bob rightly suggests, as you add light sources, you will be come adept at adjusting them. Use it with ambient-only shots when you have time, I think you will like the consistency of results. If you chimp 2 shots to get it right, wouldnt it be easier to meter and get it right the first time more often. The mindset can go from " I hope I got it right" to "I'll just check to be sure I got it right" and not check as often. I know there is room to recover in photoshop, but start shooting alot, and having it right in camera can save alot of time on the computer. Dont know about you, but I'd rather be shooting.

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